Where does “penn gwynn” come from?

penn gwynn (Cornish) comes from Cornish gwynn, from Old Cornish guyn, from Proto-Brythonic gwɨnn, from Proto-Celtic windos, from Proto-Indo-European windo-, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.

penn gwynn (Cornish): penguin

Definitions

  1. penguin

Ancestry of “penn gwynn”, step by step

penn gwynn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Cornish gwynn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cornishgwynnwhite; fair; blessed
2Old Cornishguyn—
3Proto-Brythonicgwɨnnwhite
4Proto-Celticwindoswhite
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwindo-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

via Cornish penn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cornishpennhead; top; end
2Middle Cornishpen—
3Old Cornishpenhead
4Proto-Brythonicpennhead
5Proto-Celtickʷennomhead
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European windo- →Every word from Proto-Celtic windos →